The Pittsburgh Steelers could and should push towards a rebuild. The Steelers have been here before – heck it's been most of the last half-decade, if not more – and will more than likely finish this season 9-8 or something close to it. I don't need a crystal ball to predict the end of Pittsburgh's season. It won't go well.
At the start of the 2025 season, myself and fellow Still Curtain podcast host Josh Yourish made our bold predictions for the upcoming campaign. I said the Steelers would go 10-7 and win a playoff game. Josh pushed for another 9-8 season and missing the postseason entirely. You'll notice that the difference in our 'bold' opinions was one game. That's what happens in purgatory. There's no way out, but the Steelers need to find one.
The Steelers last solution to football purgatory was a bad one
The last time the Steelers were here, they acted quickly. Ben Roethlisberger had just retired, and longtime general manager Kevin Colbert knew the franchise needed a face. Thus, he made it his sole goal to replace Roethlisberger, even if it meant reaching for a so-called franchise quarterback. It just so happened that draft – 2022, mind you – wasn't a strong QB class. Nonetheless, Colbert drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round. Many around Pittsburgh questioned the pick, but also gave Colbert the benefit of the doubt given the Steelers share a practice facility and field with Pitt. Maybe Colbert knew something we didn't?
As it turns out, we were right! Pickett had a third-round grade for a reason. He's since been traded to the Eagles, Browns and Raiders. The best-case scenario for Pickett is to become a career backup, and perhaps every now and the handed the reigns to start. That's not great, and certainly not worthwhile of a first-round pick.
That is what I'm here to warn against. Omar Khan is just as desperate as Colbert, albeit for different reasons. Mike Tomlin is a veteran head coach searching for a consistent winner. He tried and failed with Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and potentially now Aaron Rodgers. Even should Rodgers succeed, he will be 42 years old by the time the season ends. He'll play one more season at best, and even that is pushing it.
How can the Steelers escape?
The Steelers best chance to escape football purgatory is to stay the course. No, really, I believe Omar Khan knows what he is doing. The Steelers have spent the last several NFL Drafts (since Khan took over) bulking up around the line of scrimmage. This includes using first-round picks on the likes of Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, and a second-round pick on center Zach Frazier. The defensive line has been supplemented by Derrick Harmon, among others. The next step should be finding the right quarterback to sit behind what ought to be a stacked offensive line in the not-so-distant future.
This year's quarterback class isn't the best, but it also isn't as bad as Pickett's. If the Steelers are lucky, one of the top QBs from this class will fall to them or become available via trade. The NFL draft is in Pittsburgh this April, the the Steelers draft cupboard is stacked as a result. When you add in possible compensatory selections, the Steelers should have 10-plus picks total.
Pittsburgh's front office has spent much of the college football season scouting quarterbacks. Their strategy is clear. Now, they just need to act on it – and not reach in the process. The 2027 season offers another promising class, and so on. To avoid another Pickett, the Steelers ought to take their time, even if it irks the fanbase.